Multitalented
by Kikumaru
Summary: (ManKin AU) Horohoro is a new freshman from Canada. By some act of god, he’s accepted into the St. Michael’s Art Institute, a private school. The school is somewhat normal…except for the fact that he’s roommates with Tao Ren, the world's biggest p
1. Mona Lisa

**Multitalented**

**Authors: A collaboration between myself, SakuraLily, and ChienEin.  
Rated: PG13  
Warnings: Language, implicit sexual situations, and two guys making out.  
Pairings: Horo x Ren x Horo. All the others are a secret.  
Summary: (ManKin AU) Usui Horokeu, also known as Horohoro, is all the way from Canada. By some act of god, he's accepted into the St. Michael's Art Institute, a private school. The school seems relatively normal…except for the fact that he's roommates with the world's biggest prick, Tao Ren.**  
  
---  
  
"Damn… I should've worn my goggles today...." Horo sighed through clenched teeth as he trudged home. His eyes hurt from trying to keep his eyes open in the snow. He would have brought his goggles, but when he'd left, it wasn't even snowing. He stopped at the mailbox, knowing Pilica would simply send him back out if he conveniently "forgot" to check the mail...trust me, he's tried it before. He wrenched open the mailbox, noting that it was frosted over from the unexpected snow. Taking the envelopes in hand, he thumbed through them one by one.   
  
"Bills...bills...you may've won a million dollars...tired of your wife, buy an inflatable one...you have just been accepted into St. Michael's Art Institute in Irvine, California…junk..."  
  
He stopped, and flipped back to the previous envelope. Sure enough, the envelope was addressed to him, and it was indeed from California. He tore open the letter, quickly scanning it over, and then ran inside the house.  
  
"PILIKA! PILIKA PILIKA PILIKA PILIKA!! GUESS WHAAAAT?!" Pilika looked up from her homework, sending a dirty look towards her older brother. "What?" He waved the letter in her face, grinning from ear to ear.   
  
"Guess what IIIIIII got~" He grinned, still waving the sheet of paper around. "Big brother, you do know those million dollar things are a scam---" "I didn't get one of THOSE. I GOT ACCEPTED!"   
  
"Accepted?"  
  
"Mmhmm!" He made a big show of handing her the letter he'd gotten. She scanned through it quickly and looked up at him. "...You got accepted into an ART school?"  
  
"Yep!"  
  
"All the way in California?"  
  
"Yeah!" Pilika looked at him, as if she were about to cry. "You want to leave me...?" Horo paused. "I never said that."  
  
"But you're going ALL THE WAY TO CALIFORNIA! Without me?" Pilika bit her lip, looking up at her older brother with those large puppy dog eyes she was known so well for.   
  
"Um...That's kind of the idea, Pil-" He was interrupted as she glomped onto him. "You can't leave!"  
  
"But...I got accepted there." Horo pointed out. He expected this reaction, but he never really decided how he wanted to deal with it. "You'll be fine here! Besides. In California its all hot and dry. Not like up here." She sniffled slightly and then nodded, releasing her death grip on her older brother. Horo gasped for breath, getting up, and headed towards his room. He pinned the letter proudly on his wall. Term started in only two weeks...  
  
---  
  
It happened too fast. The packing, the registration, the packets, the orientation, the flight, the plane, the airport, the taxi, and now, Horo currently sat in his dorm. Well, not his totally, it was a double to save money. But, it was his dorm.   
  
"...Hrm. White walls." Horo smiled to himself, pulling out a can of pastel toned paint next to him. It was blue, but a very light, soft, and nice blue. He didn't have a lot, so decided to paint the room only, the small kitchen and the bathroom will be something different...   
  
All of his painting supplies were stashed underneath his desk that he had conveniently labeled with his all time favorite monogram. He popped open the paint can. He had known it would look blah and boring, and dubbed it a good thing he brought some of his paints. Horo smiled. The new freshmen grabbed a broad paintbrush, duct tape, and a LOT of newspaper he found near the recycle bin. He spread the newspaper all over the floor, and started duct taping the windows and edges of tables and walls.  
  
"Time to get MESSY." Horohoro smirked and brushed away.  
  
With a loud sigh, two hours later, Horohoro collasped onto his newspaper-covered bed. He wore his painting overalls and an old t-shirt, so he didn't have to worry about staining any of his clothes. He had moved some of the furniture, but now all the walls in the dorm room, minus the bathroom and the miniscule kitchen, were a calming, light, and quite wonderful shade of blue. His stomach growled.  
  
"Time for a break!" He stood up and looked around proudly. He quickly rushed over to one of the cabinets, changed, threw his clothes into the laundry basket, and grabbed a sheet of paper.  
  
"Lets see now..." Horo quickly scribbled onto the paper: "Dear Roommate, Don't touch the walls. That's five coats and I still need to decorate it. It might be wet too. Out to lunch! Your roommate, Horohoro."  
  
The freshman smiled at the note, read it over once more, taped it to the desk. He then briskly grabbed his wallet, and ran out of the door, only stopping to lock it. With a happy sigh, he walked onward to the cafeteria.  
  
---  
  
"I keep GETTING them! It's starting to get weird." Hao complained to his brother as he shoved the chocolates in a desk drawer. "Its tough being popular." He sighed, collapsing on the bed opposite Yoh. Yoh looked at his twin, trying hard not to keep from laughing. "You got them again? We're running out of room."  
  
"Should I start throwing them away?" Hao opened a box of them, popping one in his mouth. "It –is- perfectly good chocolate after all."  
  
"But all of it's taking up so much SPACE." Yoh looked a bit irritated. "Just EAT them all in one night."  
  
"Oh. Me on a sugar high." He grinned at that and looked at Yoh. "You'll eat them with me. And we can cause terror for the ENTIRE SCHOOL!"  
  
"...No thanks. I'd rather keep my good reputation." Yoh yawned, stretching lazily across his bed.   
  
"Suit yourself. Think I should ask Ren to join me in my quest to take over the school?"   
  
Yoh looked over at him, shrugging. "I seriously doubt that he'd want to take over the school. You can ask Anna though. Maybe she'll help you. Or you can ask your fanclub."  
  
"My FANCLUB." Hao beamed, swallowing a chocolate currently in his mouth. "Perfect idea, little brother."  
  
Yoh closed his eyes. "Mmhm...I guess so."  
  
---  
  
Ren had gone to the library to pick up some books for his next assignment. He fumbled with his books as he struggled to pull out his key from his pocket. The books fell onto the floor, and he cursed softly.  
  
He bent over to pick up his books when he caught the familiar smell of wet paint. It was coming from...inside his room. He looked at the door and after a moment, he cautiously opened the door.  
  
What he saw inside would haunt him for days. His pristine white-painted walls were now...a shade of light pastel blue. BLUE. His books fell to the newspaper-covered floor as his mouth dropped in shock. WHO HAD DONE THIS?  
  
Ren quickly searched through the room and discovered the note on the desk. After reading it, he ripped it to pieces. He was angry, and he KNEW it was a mistake for him to give in to his sister's demands about getting a double. He HATED being with other people, including people who PAINTED HIS ROOM A PASTEL BLUE WITHOUT PERMISSION.  
  
He stalked out of the room, slamming the door closed, in search of his new roommate. He had a thing or two or five to say to him.


	2. Starry Skies

A/N: *__*; So many reviews...we appreciate it a lot, we really do. XD Also, constructive criticism is welcome. In fact, it is adored. It makes us work harder on writing this and making it better. :P

---

"Mmmm...." Horo Horo's mouth watered as he looked around in the cafeteria. 

"No more Pilica's cooking!" He smiled widely and headed to the frozen section. The painter looked at the different flavors of ice cream, a vague thought reminding him that he was in sunny California now, not snowy Canada. He wanted a taste of something cold. A bit homesick, perhaps.

"Hrm....Ma'am?" He waved at the old lady, her graying black hair tucked back in a hairnet. She came over briskly, smiling at him. 

"Oh! A new face! What can I get for you, dear?" She asked, sounding sweet and gentle. Horo smiled back at her. 

"One scoop of chocolate ice cream on a sugar cone, please." The lady quickly scooped out an almost sphere of ice cream, proving that she had most likely had worked in the cafeteria for a long time.

"That'll come to...2.50," she stated, chuckling a bit as the boy fished in his pockets for change. "I'll pay for the tax, it's your first day here, right?" She handed him the cone, 

"Thank you. And yes, it is my first day." He added cheerfully with another grin. 

"Excited?"

"Yes'm!"

The old lady's smile widened and she handed Horo a napkin. 

"Well if you're ever hungry for ice cream or somethin' else, just come on over here.  Ol' Barbara will help you."

Horo smiled to himself. The people seemed nice around here, which probably meant that his roommate wouldn't turn out to be a grouch...

"I'll be sure to remember that," He paused slightly, and then cheerfully introduced himself.  

"My name's Horo Horo." He saluted her good naturedly, and started walking back to the dorm, licking his ice cream absently.

The blue-haired teen walked slowly, savoring the taste of the ice cream on his way back to the freshly painted room. The hustle and bustle from the cafeteria slowly died down as he walked down the halls leading to the dormitories. He went up a flight of stairs, placing a hand on the metal handbar as he ascended the staircase. The metal was cold to the touch, but not as cold as the sweet taste of chocolate lingering in his mouth.

Horo Horo reached top of the spiral staircase, and for the first time, looked around the halls. He had been too busy rushing down the stairs earlier to notice all the paintings in the numerous hallways. Right next to the arrow sign with cafeteria written on it, to the left of the stairs, was a painting of a hill. The hill was littered with flowers and life forms of every color, every shape. He smiled at it and touched the cool glass that protected the beautiful piece. He felt a little homesick of Canada... just a bit. 

He missed the summers where he and Pilica would go camping in a forest they'd always gone to. Missed the fishing, and the fields that seemed to go on forever..but that forest had been torn down a year ago. Horohoro was definitely a naturalist, and was destroyed when one of his favorite places in the world to visit was turned into some damned amusement park. He continued to walk again, moping, but only a little.

About halfway down the empty hall, a figure came into view.

"Hrm." Horo blinked, continuing down the hall slowly. He watched as the person came closer, watching him as he stopped a young man who was walking by. The boy seemed to question him quite roughly, clearly infuriated at someone. After a while of staring, Horo began to wonder if the person was wearing some kind of weird hat, for, for some reason, his hair was styled up into a large spike at the back of his head.

The person growled loudly, whirling around, and then stomped down the hall. He paused slightly, looking at Horo. Spike-head seemed to have noticed him. Horo stiffened instinctively, but continued to lick his ice cream.

"YOU." 

Horo could see that up close, it was a teen around his age. He wore some odd Asian-style clothing...Chinese, maybe? Black puffy pants, tied together with a messy golden ribbon. Two small slits down the sides of the waist. He also wore a top that showed his stomach and arms. 

"Weird guy..." Horo thought, as he studied the teen. His spiked hair was a deep violet, and the boy had cat-like golden eyes that were flaring angrily at him. 

"Name yourself," The Asian demanded as he stood right in front of Horo, glaring at him while leaning forward towards him in a sort of  "in-your-face" fashion.

Horo coughed lightly, staring at the smaller teen. It didn't have much of an effect on him...he was much taller than him, almost a head's worth.

"Me? My name is Horo Horo. But isn't it more polite to intro-" 

"YOU!" His eyes flared, and he growled deep in his throat. "I was LOOKING for YOU."

He was abruptly cut off.

"...What?" 

"WHAT. HAVE. YOU. DONE. TO. MY. ROOM?!" The boy clenched his fist, pausing to let the effect of every single word sink in.

Horo screwed his face up slightly. He hadn't done anything to ANYONE else's dorm. All he had done today was paint his own, unless this was his roomie...

"OH!" 

"OH WHAT?!" The Chinese boy roared in anger.

"You're my roomie!" 

Horo Horo watched as the shorter one nodded, not taking his stare off of the boy for even a second.

"Well... I painted it!" He smiled sheepishly, scratching his head with one hand.

"I KNOW that you painted it."

"So why'd you ask what I did with the room?"

"...Argh. Well, forget that. WHY DID YOU PAINT THE ROOM?!"

"It looked too empty, boring, and bland. Doesn't the blue look nice though?"

"NO, the blue does NOT look NICE." He fumed at Horo, looking all the more furious by the second. "The white was SO much better with that...that...that HORRIBLE paint job!" The Chinese yelled, scowling.

"Well, EXCUSE ME," said Horo, feeling quite offended. "It's my dorm too. I can do what I want." He smiled proudly at this, thinking he'd gotten the upper hand in the argument

"That means it's ALSO mine." The new roomie smirked all of a sudden, as if a thought occured to him. He suddenly seemed calmer now than before.  "SO. I command you to paint it back."

"Paint it back?! But that took me HOURS." Horo groaned loudly in protest.

"Well I want you to paint it back. Or else." 

"Or else WHAT?" 

"Or else you'll wish you never got Tao Ren as your new roommate." The Chinese, apparently named Tao Ren, said with a smirk.

"...Oh? Well, Ren, I got news for you. I'm NOT going to paint it back. And there's NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING you can do about it." He smirked back.

Ren's smirk turned into a dark frown almost instantly.

"You're going to so regret that." 

"So what if I re- AUGH! COLD!!" He shrieked, now on the floor, rubbing at where Ren had just shoved the chocolate ice cream into his face. He had ice cream dripping off his chin and a shattered cone in his shirt. He moaned childishly, leaning his hands back to glare up at the young man.

"Ow... What the hell was that for?!" He choked out angrily, his face flushing a dark red.

Ren stood above him, a smirk set firmly in place on his face. 

"I TOLD you that you'd regret it." 

And with that, he descended the spiral staircase, leaving the ice cream splattered Horo on the floor.

"Grr... 'I told you that you'd regret it'...BAH." Horo got up slowly, mimicking Ren's words repeatedly with disgust. 

"Well, Tao Ren. I have a surprise for YOU when you come back." Horo limped back to 'his' room, his backside feeling sore from when he'd been pushed down. Pieces of the soaked sugar cone fell out of his shirt as he walked. 

So much for his roommate not being a grouch.

But he had a surprise for Ren... a surprise indeed. All he had to do now is decide on a color to paint the new decorations in...


	3. Whistler's Mother

A/N: Sorry this was a bit late. Pika was gone for two weeks, so we kind of delayed this. Soo….on with the story.

----

Lyserg crept quietly down the hallway, a large bag in his arms. He ignored the way his classmates were staring at him, but it mostly seemed as if he didn't notice them. There was only a single purpose in his mind and he was going to succeed today. He was going to succeed no matter what the cost.  
  
"There he goes again..." One of the girls commented as he snuck past them, his back against the wall and his eyes darting around nervously.   
  
"He's always going at it," Another beside her replied with a derisive snort. "He's never going to win though."  
  
"Of course not. It's Hao-sama!"   
  
As it so happened, Hao was immerging from the room he shared with Yoh, slightly hyper from eating all of the chocolates he had received. He smiled cheerfully at the world at large as he skipped down the hallway. He was unaware of the fact that he had gained a new shadow.   
  
Lyserg followed after him, his green eyes gleaming purposefully. He clutched at the bag in his hands tightly. He was going to win today against Hao. He was sure of that much.  
  
"I shall WIN!" He declared loudly and covered his mouth hastily when he realized he had said that out loud. He darted into the nearest dark corner, hoping that his target had not heard him. When he saw that Hao was still merrily skipping down the hallway, smiling and singing "CCAATTCHH YOU~ Caattchh me~ Matte!"[1], he sighed in relief. He had not been discovered. Or so he thought.  
  
Hao disguised a look over his shoulders as a toss of his hair and caught sight of Lyserg from the corner of his eye. His grin widened, though it had grown just a bit malicious. Hao had no qualms about having a little bit of fun now and then, even if it meant someone else's humiliation. It was just that he had a streak of evil in him that had failed to manifest itself in his twin. SOMEONE had to make up for Yoh's goodness after all.  
  
Balance was required in nature and in this case, Hao felt an irresistible urge that he had no intention of resisting. He turned the corner and headed for the school's entrance. There was a certain school fountain that needed a bit of company.   
  
"Tip Tap~ koi wa itsudatte Candy! FURU-TSU no you ni TAASTTY~"[2] He switched tunes, perhaps it was inappropriate for his plans, but nonetheless it was a nice tune. Snappy and addicting, he had probably heard it from one of Yoh's many CDs. He tossed his hair again, making sure that Lyserg was still trailing him and sending several girls into a swoon at the same time.   
  
Hao made it to the school fountain, which was an odd statue of an Angel (It looked more robotic than Angelic really) spouting water from its outstretched hand, and paused there as if he was looking into the water for something.  
  
It was at that time that Lyserg took up the opportunity to jump out from his hiding place, some bushes, and run towards Hao with the bag raised over his head.   
  
"HHHAAAOOOO!" He screamed as he raced towards the fountain. Hao waited, listening to the footsteps rapidly closing in, then stepped aside at the last moment. The momentum carried Lyserg into the fountain, face first into the cold water. The bag, which contained some water balloons, rolled out into the fountain.  
  
"You missed again, Lyserg~" Hao purred cheerfully.  
  
Lyserg gurgled something into the water, which might have been 'HHHAAAOOOO!' or 'JJEERRRKKK!', perhaps something else entirely.   
  
"See you tomorrow~" Hao spun and re-entered the school, still singing and in high spirits. There was nothing wrong with having a little fun. None at all.   
  
Lyserg surfaced, coughing out water as he stood up in the fountain. The kids surrounding him burst into giggles, almost everyone within distance. He glared at them, only prompting them to giggle more. He sighed, sloshing his way out of the fountain, dripping water as he stomped his way back to the school. Tears, nearly unnoticeable, rolled down his face, and he sniffed slightly. It was going to be another miserable year, it seemed.  
  
But NO. He wouldn't let it! He wouldn't let Hao humiliate and abuse him this year, not like he had in middle school, elementary school, and even preschool. He'd been friends with Yoh then...and of course, this only led to more torture by the infamous Hao. It wasn't FAIR. Everyone always took his side. Everyone always laughed WITH him, never stopping by to help Lyserg up if he'd tripped. Never sending dirty looks towards Hao's way.  
  
Stupid, stupid Hao.  
  
---  
  
"Hello there~." Hao beamed brightly at Lyserg as he approached the lunch table that Lyserg sat at. "Lyserg, right? Yoh's friend?"  
  
Lyserg stared at him suspiciously, nodding silently. Even then, Hao was known throughout the school as the kid who once kissed a GIRL, and the kid who kicked Mrs. Eliza in the shins when he had to get his shots.  
  
"The name's Hao." He sat down next to Lyserg, trying to be a bit friendly. Lyserg, still a bit wary, stared down into his lunch.   
  
"What do you want...?" Lyserg looked at him, a little confused as to why the notorious Hao was sitting next to him. Hao stared right back, not answering, and studied the pendulum around Lyserg's neck.   
  
"What's that?" Hao lifted it up, letting the crystal catch the light. Lyserg inhaled sharply, snatching the precious stone from Hao's hands. "Its...mine."  
  
"Well of course it is. Lemme see it." Hao tried to take it back, once more taking the pendant from his hands. "Is this a necklace or something? Only girls wear necklaces..."   
  
"Give it back! Its MINE! My papa got it for me, all the way in ENGLAND! That's like...a bazillion miles away! So give it back!" Lyserg tried to jump for it, but Hao kept it just out of reach.   
  
"I like it. I think I'll keep it." Hao smirked down at him, watching as the smaller boy panicked over something as simple as a little necklace.   
  
"But its MIIIIIINE!" Lyserg jumped for it once more, and managed to get it out of Hao's grip. His hands slipped however, and the precious stone fell to the tile lunchroom floor.  
  
It shattered on the checkerboard tile, sparkling pieces falling everywhere.  
  
Lyserg stood up, remaining silent, and turned abruptly. He then pointed an accusing finger at Hao, his face scrunched up in fury, while his other hand stuffed the broken pieces of glass into his pockets. It was quite a strange looking combination. Lyserg sniffed, and his young, premature voice rang loudly through the room. "You broke my treasure!"  
  
The long haired boy stopped, he had been walking away, and he turned on his heel, keeping his pose. "Yes, so what do you want to do about it? Or what do you want ME to do about it?" He kept a calm smile, looking ever so nonchalant, quite the awkward sight to see a little boy looking so… mature.  
  
Lyserg opened his mouth to say something, but choked, he actually had no real clue what he wanted to do. Half of him wanted to beat Hao to the ground. The other half just wanted to cry. After all… his parents weren't there. He was dreadfully homesick, and that was his little piece of home… But what could Hao do about the broken stone? He couldn't command for Hao to get a new one, all the way in England, that would be silly, and he would be ridiculed once again…  
  
"Well?"  
  
The small child snapped out of his thoughts, and in lack of things to do. He cried. The teachers nearby were in shock of the whole thing, but once hearing this plea of help, they ran over to comfort Lyserg, but none of them scolded Hao…  
  
---  
  
Lyserg sneezed, pulling out of his memories. He growled, going from a slow trot to a brisk walk and finally broke into a run back into his dorm. He had to devise a new plan… yes… a new, foolproof plan…  
  
Hao's nose tingled and he paused, putting a finger on it as he smiled amusedly. The fans that were following him SQUEALED loud enough to shatter glass. Excited chatters followed about how cute Hao looked when he did that.  
  
He sniffed, someone was damning him again, but of course, he smirked. It was usually Lyserg or some envious guy… It was hard being popular.  
  
The ever "hot" Hao hummed to himself, and noted absently that when people saw him, they quickly parted and stood against the walls to allow him passage. Hao nearly SPARKLED when it happened.  
  
"Thank you very much." He nodded at a nearby girl, quite overweight, and she quickly squealed and her legs gave away as she collapsed to the floor. Hao chuckled lightly and went off to the library. The squealing was nice, but it did hurt his ears. Nobody ever goes above a whisper in the library…  
  
He whistled as he walked there, and sometimes he would walk backwards to face the stalkers and fans. Maybe a wink here and there, causing girls to swoon and collapse. This was the life!  
  


[1] "Catch You, Catch Me" – Card Captor Sakura

[2] "Fruits Candy" – Card Captor Sakura


	4. Birth of Venus

A/N: YAY! We got this finished... *_* Finally...

"And now..." Horo started, with a satisfied grin. "It is COMPLETE!"

HoroHoro, speckled with white paint, threw his broad paintbrush into the now empty can. He smiled to himself as he surveyed his handiwork. He had decided to repaint the room, simply because well, Horo was a good person! Really. He picked up the six brushes he had somehow found necessary to use, and continued to look around.

The blue-haired freshman practically waltzed into the miniscule kitchen, and tossed his brushes in the stainless steel sink. He quickly washed them all and left them on the counter to dry. He went to the restroom, making a face at his paint-covered self in the mirror, and then smiled. Perfect.

The teen rushed back to his room to tidy up a bit. In other words, he shoved everything underneath his desk. He looked over his room a final time before closing and locking the door behind him.

"This time, it's my turn to find you, Tao Ren!"

And so, Horo ran down the hallway of the dorms in St. Michael's Art Institute.

* * *

  


However, in the library, an unsuspecting Tao Ren studied his lines carefully, every now and then making small notes to himself in the margins. Other books -- those were for his main classes -- were scattered haphazardly over the table as Ren studied the fine arts. If he didn't have a roommate, he could've studied in a more comfortable environment—such as his welcoming room.

Instead, he was stuck in this dusty-smelling maze of books, where people left their trash on the tables and wrote like mad. Even worse was the hawk-like librarian and her aides, who glided everywhere in their faded brown uniforms—hoping to catch someone doing something wrong. A horrid place to be—he hated studying here and would never have to if it weren't for the blue-haired roommate. For that matter, if he didn't have a roommate, his walls wouldn't be blue, his day wouldn't have been interrupted, and he could've had a relatively relaxing day.

But all this was interrupted as Horo thrust open the heavy, ancient door to the library— which moaned as it slowly slid back to its place. An indentation would've been there if the walls weren't a mix of black marble and oak.

"HEY-" Horo was quieted almost instantly by at least a dozen angry glares, a couple of people grumbling about how he should know better, and still others made a shh-ing sound at him. These sounds seemed to be magnified in the open area—the high ceilings were designed to amplify the sound so that the statements of annoyance seemed to be from hundreds instead of about twelve. He frowned, mumbling a quiet apology that hung in the air, and set forth to find Ren.

After all, where could Ren have gotten to with all of those books?

Ren had looked up, annoyed by the sudden outburst, wondering what kind of idiot would make that much noise in the library...but of course, it was the same idiot, who had destroyed his room. The same idiot, who had put him off his schedule, thus ruining his day. Ren hid behind his script, trying to ignore his annoying roommate. However, it was at this very moment when Horo, with a hushed greeting, flopped down in the crimson seat beside him.

Ren simply ignored him, continuing to flip through the frayed pages as he frowned at the graffiti scribbled onto a picture of "Birth of Venus." Apparently someone thought it would be funny to deface the goddess by writing: "Nude chicks are hot!" on her breasts.

"I finished repainting the room." Horo stated, carefully choosing his words.

"Did you now?" Ren said, dismissively staring at his offending script without making eye contact. Perhaps that would make him go away, and let Ren get back to what he was doing in the first place—studying.

"I have proof! See?" He pointed towards his face, which was splattered with white paint. He tapped Ren on the shoulder when he didn't look up. Ren sighed, annoyed, and looked at him angrily, slightly noting that there was some white paint chips on his shoulder—contrasted brightly with his dark attire.

"You'd better not gotten anything on my bed." His look, mistrusting, was aimed at Horo for one moment, and turned back to the absurd and rambling book. It was a good thing at least, that the job had gotten done. Though there was always a chance of failure or mistake—which his gut told him was bound to happen.

"I didn't. I promise. Don't you want to at least SEE my masterpiece?" Horo sulked; his attempt at conversation was failing very quickly...

"No." Ren quietly replied—he witnessed the effects of the echo second-hand and did not plan to do so first-hand. The Tao continued to avoid Horo's pleading eyes. "Besides, you just painted a room white."

"Yeah...but it took me a long time!" The Ainu sulked even more, getting tired of this whining anyways. His roommate was so...ugh. Nothing like him at all, which is what he didn't expect or brace for. It was almost disappointing.

"So? It was your fault in the first place." Ren replied, indignantly—he too was bothered by this cycle: "I whine, and then you dismiss me. Then we do it again!"

"But I did what you asked me to do!"

"But I haven't seen what other catastrophes you've done to my room yet, have I?" Ren argued back, coolly setting his book aside, ignoring the dust that emitted from it.

"I didn't do anything to YOUR room! I repainted OUR room!"

Ren stopped the conversation there, choosing to remain silent as he turned angrily back to his script. Why Horo had even come here was a complete and utter mystery to him. So far, he had seen that Horo had NO artistic talent, brains, or any of the requirements that the school had set for it's students.

Horo sighed loudly, and put his head on the table tiredly, watching as Ren took notes on rather boring things...intonation here, tone there, mood, gestures. He picked up one of Ren's textbooks and flipped through it noisily, dismissing it with a heavy sigh, and then he picked up another one, repeating the process. Ren glared at him as the Ainu sneezed from the age of the books.

"Stop it." At this, Horo put the book back on the stack, staring at the shorter boy. Ren flinched slightly, and then stared back at Horo. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"Waiting for you to finish." Horo replied matter-of-factly.

"Wait somewhere else then."

"No thanks."

Ren frowned at this, and then read for a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. After a few more minutes, he stood up. "Fine. I'll leave then."

"No! No, it's all right! Stay."

Ren looked at him curiously. Horo grinned, resting his head in his hands almost boredly. "You're fun to watch." He stated, and it was true. Ren was interesting to watch. Especially now. Ren's ears were a dark shade of pink...though he wasn't sure if it was from anger, or if he was actually blushing. Most likely the former. But Ren remained silent, and turned back to his studies.

Silence hung through the air for a moment or so, the tension between them almost visible. Horo sighed, fidgeting in his seat a bit, then drumming his fingers on the library table.

Tapitty tap tap.

Tap tap tap tap.

"Why won't you go away?" Ren glared at him once more, standing up, closing his books as he did so.

"I don't know." Horo blinked, uncomfortable under Ren's harsh look.

"Leave then!"

"Fine!" Horo stood up and slammed the chair back under the table, looking disappointed. "Why should I be nice to you anyway!"

"I don't NEED people to be nice to me."

"Fine then! Just be LONELY for all I care!" Horo stormed off, slamming the library door with a dignified snort. The librarian scowled at Ren, who glared right back and left the library in the other direction.


End file.
